Forever Yours
by artychick7
Summary: Her whole life shattered in a single night. Can anyone fix her shattered heart?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: this is a story inspired by things I am going through right now. I often find myself in similar situations as this, and, unlike this little girl, I can't scream out my pain.**

Dark air pushed in on her, and the walls of her hiding place caved in on her, making it hard to breathe. She just wanted it to stop. She wanted all the screaming to stop. It made her scared and she trembled, hearing glass shatter somewhere nearby. A slap and cry of pain followed, and a single tear dripped off of her chin onto her hand that wrapped around her knees, pulling them close. Her face stung from the slap that had driven her into hiding. Her breathing was fast and light, making her head spin. Her leg was covered in sticky blood that smelled like rust and salt water. The screaming started again, and the yells and cries outside mixed with sobs of her own. Her stomach was clenched in a tight knot, and she felt horribly sick. She pressed a hand to her temples, clumps of tangles sticking to her wet hands. Her lips trembled and she bit her bottom lip, trying to stop from whimpering. The screaming quieted, and she closed her eyes, hoping, but she jumped when a bang shook the walls around her. Two more shots quickly followed, and she sunk onto her side, clutching her stomach and letting out a piercing scream. There was no one left. No one would hear.

But she was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

** A/N: This story is inspired by my little sister. She is the role model for my OC. Enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

Shivers ran up her spine as she hurried along the slick chain of rooftops. The gravel helped steady her footing, but only just. After gaining enough strength, she had hesitantly left the dark closet and gathered a few things from her room, avoiding the kitchen completely, and stuffing them in a small backpack on her floor. After tugging on her tennis shoes and grabbing a large coat from the floor of the closet, she clawed her way through the window and climbed up fire escape. The sky began to drizzle as she pulled herself up over the edge of the building and rolling to her back. She didn't want to be here when the cops showed up. They would take her away and tear her away from everything she knew, and kindly try to explain what had happened. Not that she didn't know or that her life had already been torn to shreds when that shot fired. She would rather find her own way to survive, rather than have adults keep her captive for who knows how long,

Without thinking, a single tear slipped down her cheek as she dropped a few feet to the next building. She had no idea where she was going, but she didn't care. She just wanted out.

The soft drizzle turned to a down pour and she began shaking. She looked around for some place to hide from the rain, but there was nothing but level gravel as far as she could see on the expanse of rooftops. She stumbled along, now finding it hard to see where she was going because of the sheets of water that fell from the sky. Her hair stuck to her face, and she fell to her knees with a soft cry at the edge of a roof. There was no where else to go. There was no possible way to jump the twenty feet to get to the next building, and she couldn't go down to street level because the cops would surely be looking for her. She curled into a ball and tugged the jacket over as much of herself as she could. A clap of thunder sounded and she sobbed herself to sleep in the pouring rain.

The last bit of sunlight began to fade as Leo flew over the hard cement, racing away from his brothers. He had just jumped across an alleyway when heard the gunshot. He ran in the direction the sound had come from without thinking. Two more shots fired, and hopped down on the fire escape in time to see a body crumple to the ground. There was another body on the ground, and blood splatters everywhere. He cringed at the sight and prepared to jump back to the roof when a faint scream reached his ears. Worried that there was another person in danger, he quietly pried open the window and stepped inside, avoiding the shattered dishes and knocked over chairs that littered the floor. He carefully made his way to a hallway and froze when he heard a door open. He made sure he was still alone and then swiftly ducked into the shadows at the end of the hall. More noises came from behind the door he was pressed against. He could tell there was only one small person walking around. He heard a zipper and then the tear of fabric. A soft clatter made him aware that someone was on the fire escape. After a few moment of silence, he cautiously opened up the door and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Papers, small toys, and clothes covered the ground. The door to the closet lay ajar and a quick scan of the room revealed that Leo was alone. Small glass dishes and dolls intermingled with crayon drawings and toy cars. Leo picked up a particularly interesting drawing that had caught his eye. A stick figure girl with a crown sat huddled in one corner while two other stick figures appeared to be fighting in the other corner. A soft grunt brought Leo back to the situation at hand. It had come from outside the window, and Leo noticed that the window screen had been knocked out and now lay broken on the last landing of the fire escape. Curious, he daintily moved it to the side and climbed his way to the roof. He was startled to see a small figure stumbling across the rooftop. It began to drizzle, and Leo invisibly followed the person. The person came to the edge of the roof, and he thought they would stop, but they fell the few feet to the next building. The rain picked up intensity, and it wasn't long before Leo had to move closer to keep them in sight. The person turned its head to both sides, but Leo still couldn't tell if it was a girl or a boy. It suddenly fell to its knees at the edge of an alley gap, and then crumpled into a ball and began crying. Leo watched as it slowly quieted and finally stopped altogether. Leo waited a few minutes until he was sure it was asleep and slowly moved in to investigate.

Leo audibly gasped when he came close enough to fully see the person asleep on the wet cement. It was a young girl, probably around 9 or 10. She had shoulder length caramel colored hair and pale peach skin. Because she was curled up in a ball with a huge soaking coat draped over her, he couldn't tell much of what she looked like except her face.

He plopped down next to her and thought about what he should do next. The two bodies in the apartment had probably been her parents. Why hadn't she stayed and waited for the cops? What 10 year old would wander out onto roofs at night?_ A deathly scared one, that's who _he told himself. He looked down at her face again and noticed how her breathing was getting shallower. He stood up, now determined to protect this little girl. He grabbed his shell cell and typed in the familiar numbers as he looked around for a place to shield her from the rain. He spotted a ledge shielded by a sky light a few buildings away as his brother answered.

"Donatello speaking."

"Don, it's me. We have a situation." Leo struggled to pick the girl up with one arm.

"Where are you?" The sound of rain made it hard for Leo to hear him, but he finally understood.

"I'm at the apartment complex a block from April's." Leo heard his other brothers yelling in the background.

"We'll be right there." Leo heard Donnie yell at his brothers before the line cut off.

Now free to use both hands, Leo easily picked up the little girl and he headed towards the skylight.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just to note, the things that have happened to this little girl have not happened to me, but something similar is happening in my life and this is my way of letting it out. I have grown up in an emotionally abusive household, so the feelings of this girl are pretty much my own. I have bad days, but for the most part I'm doing pretty well and am excited to turn 18 and leave this all behind me.**

**Enough pity partying. Please review! I know I'm weird, but I love to be criticized! It gives me something to work on!**

**Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own TMNT**

Leo did not have to wait very long for his brothers.

"What's the emergency bro?" Mikey reached Leo first. "What's that?" he pointed to the bundle Leo held in his arms.

Raph and Don came up next to him and they all looked at him expectantly. He unlatched his hold around the shivering body in his arms and all three of his brothers stared in shock.

"Leo, what the hell are you thinking? She's a little girl!" Raph hissed quietly, not wanting to wake her up.

Leo sighed at Raph's outburst. He didn't want to deal with it tonight, not after what he had seen. He motioned for Donnie to kneel next to him.

"She's soaked and shivering. I think she might have a fever. Take her back to the lair. Tell Sensei I will talk with him when I return. Take Mikey with you." He gently laid the girl into Don's outstretched arms.

"Where are you going?" he whispered.

"Raph needs to see something." Leo said, standing rain had slacked off, but a cold drizzle still fell from the sky. "Raph come with me. Mikey help Don."

"But," Mikey's puppy face didn't work on Leo, but he always tried just in case.

"Mikey, Don needs your help." Leo said firmly.

Mikey's face fell in annoyance, but then lit up mischievously. "Ugh, fine. But I get to name her!"

Leo smiled as they walked off to the nearest fire escape, Donnie explaining to Mikey how she already had a name and Mikey saying how he didn't care.

"What you want Leo?" Raph asked.

Leo said nothing, instead began running towards the apartment building the girl had come from, careful on the slick pavement. Raph sighed and ran after him, angry that Leo wouldn't answer him. Leo carefully dropped himself onto the fire escape after he was sure the cops weren't there yet. Raph fell in beside him.

"What Leo? It's cold and I wanna go back to da lair." He sneered.

Leo's face was somber, and Raph almost regretted being mad at him.

"Just look Raph." Leo said quietly, stepping out of the way so Raph could step inside. It was dark and it took a moment for Raph's eyes to adjust. When they did, he noticed the broken plates and cups on the floor, the tipped over chairs and dark patterns on the walls. He stepped up to the wall and confirmed that the patterns were splotches of blood. Shocked, he stumbled back and stepped on a soft, cold lump. He looked down, and saw a woman, eyes clouded and frozen in death. He gasped, and stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over a second, larger body.

"Dude, are these…?" Raph gulped, afraid to say the words.

Leo just nodded sadly. He motioned for Raph to join him and they began slowly making their way home. Leo felt void of all energy at seeing the horror in that room, and Raph didn't mind going slow either.

After a few minutes of silence, Raph spoke up. "Look bro, I'm sorry about getting mad earlier.

"It's okay." Leo knew how hard it was for his brother to apologize. It must have affected Raph just as much as it had himself. They walked the rest of the way in silence, comfortable with the unsaid assurance that they had each other. It was rare that the two were alone and not arguing and fighting, and Leo liked it, but all too soon they were removing the manhole cover near their home and entering the lair. Don and Mikey had put the girl on the couch, and scrounged as many blankets as they could find, leaving small mountain to cover the girl. Donnie was checking her pulse and temperature as Leo and Raph walked up, and Mikey suddenly appeared with a steaming bowl of water.

"Sensei wants you in his room, Leo." Mikey said quietly. Leo could tell he was curious about what he had shown Raph. Leo knew Raph would never reveal what he had seen or what had happened on his younger brothers, he cared about them too much. Leo was grateful that he and Raph were alike at least in that one aspect. Raph kneeled down beside Donnie as Leo walked towards his father's room.

"What can I help with, Donnie?" Leo heard him ask softly, and he could just imagine Don's and Mike's jaws dropping at Raph's sincerity and concern. Knowing what had happened to that poor little girl had really shaken him.

Leo hesitated before the rice paper door, not knowing what he was going to tell his father. He finally sighed and slowly opened the door. Soft yellow light from meditation candles were the only source of light in the room. Splinter's back was towards him, and Leo softly fell to his knees a few feet from the door.

"Sensei." Leo whispered, looking at the ground. A few moments passed, and Leo was worried that his father was mad at him. Finally, the furry rat turned around and sat facing his son.

"My son," he sighed, not knowing where to begin. "I would have expected you to think about the consequences of such actions before bringing a child into our home. You know the risks that come with such knowledge, especially when the knowledge is possessed by a child."

"Sensei," Leo began, but Splinter cut him off.

"No, my son, you have put us all in grave danger! The people above may not believe a little child, but what if one were to become curious and discover us? We would be torn apart, placed in laboratories, dissected." Splinter's voice remained low, but Leo flinched at every word.

"Sensei, please let me explain." When Splinter said nothing, Leo continued. "That little girl just lost both of her parents. While we were out on patrol, I heard gunshots and instinctively went to the source of the sound. What I saw there was enough to make me feel responsible to take care of that child. Ask Raphael. I showed him because he was also angry with me at protecting her. You see how shaken he is."

Splinter was quiet for a moment. "What happened to her parents, Leonardo?"

"Her father shot her mother, and then shot himself twice. That little girl was hiding in a closet when the shots fired, Master Splinter." Leo's voice became gruff and he blinked several times. Master Splinter's face revealed no expression, but Leo could tell he was shocked. Minutes passed. Splinter finally sighed.

"Go get dried off, Leonardo. And send Raphael in to speak with me. She may stay for the time being." Leo's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. As he walked out of Splinter's room, he thought of how different that conversation could have ended. Splinter was not one to throw a poor child out on the streets, Leo knew he was just worried for his family's safety, but he would have found a different way to get her out of the lair before she woke up. His three brothers were still huddled by the small form under the piles of blankets when he walked up to them.

"Raph, Splinter needs to talk to you." He whispered.

"'Kay." His red banded brother stood up and walked away. Donnie yawned and Mikey's eyes kept closing, then darting back open.

"You two go get some rest. I'll watch her for now."

"No, I can," Donnie yawned again. "make it."

"No you can't. Go sleep for a few hours. I'll wake you if anything happens." Leo pushed his brothers off in the direction of their rooms. Leo stifled a yawn as he watched them groggily stumble away. He turned back to the girl and experimentally placed a hand on her forehead. It was hot, but he had expected it to be, so it didn't surprise him. She was still shivering slightly, and Leo tugged the blankets closer to her face. He pulled the recliner to where, if he was laying down, he could still watch her. He made himself comfortable and laid down, exhausted from the day's traumatic events. Twenty minutes later, his eyes were closed, but he heard Sensei's door softly open and close. Raph's footsteps stopped for a moment right behind him, but then he walked to his own room.

An hour passed, then two. It was nearing four o'clock when the girl began to move and shift. Leo immediately sat up and checked to make she was still breathing. He placed a hand on her wrist after digging it out of the covers, but he froze when her eyes popped open. At first she looked straight up at the ceiling, and then her eyes wandered around, taking in her surroundings. Finally, hers met his and he held his breath as her eyes widened, waiting for the scream.

But then her head cocked to one side and her face twisted in puzzlement.

"Hi."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: sorry this has taken so long. I've been at my high school 12 hours of the day everyday for the past week. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

"Hey guys! I'm home!" Melanie walked into the kitchen and set down the bags of food she was carrying. "Uh, guys?" The lair was empty. She walked down the hall and looked into each of the bedrooms. Still no signs of life. "Guys, this isn't funny. You know I don't like to be scared. You should know better." She walked back to the living room and plopped into the recliner. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, listening for the faintest sounds.

"Hi Mel!" An orange mask popped up next to her.

Melanie screamed and jumped out of the recliner. "Michelangelo! I'm gonna kill you!" she grabbed a pillow and ran after the screaming turtle.

"Dat bozo. He went an ruined it! I woulda made her pee her pants. She wasn't even freakin' out yet!" Raph let go of his hold on the beam on the ceiling and landed lightly on his feet.

"Aw Raph, come off it. He got her good. She's getting rusty what with being in college and all." Donnie dropped from his perch and Leo appeared from behind the couch. Mikey came running back and cowered behind Raph. Melanie trotted out of the hallway, pillow still in hand.

"Mike, that wasn't funny. I've had a rough day!" She griped.

"Was too! You shoulda seen your face!" Mikey's brothers laughed at his attempt to recreate Melanie's startled face. She even started giggling and loosened her grip on the pillow, stepping closer. She caught Raph's eye and winked, and his grin grew. Leo watched as her grip tightened and her arm swung back at the same moment Raph stepped out of the way, leaving Mikey an open target. She tackled him and smacked him with the pillow. The rolled across the floor, laughing and screaming. They accidentally tripped Raph and he fell in, tickling the both of them. Don and Leo joined in and soon they were all wrestling on the floor in a heap.

Leo was the first to stand up after they had all fallen to their backs, panting for air. They all went their separate ways. Don to his lab, Raph to his room, and Mikey pulled out the video game controllers. Melanie followed Leo into the kitchen and they began to put the groceries away.

"So how was work Lanie?" Melanie smiled at her oldest brother. He was the only one that ever called her that.

"It was fine. Nothing really exciting happened. I don't work for a while because of finals next week." She answered, putting a few boxes of cereal into the cupboard.

"Is Donnie gonna help you study for them? You should see if you could sneak a second copy of the test. I bet he is dying to know how he would do with a challenge." Leo poured a bag of fruit into a bowl in the middle of the table.

"Yeah. I'm really nervous for my calculus test." She whimpered.

"Don't be. You'll set the curve after Donnie is done with you."

Melanie smiled, remembering countless nights where she and her brainiac brother had stayed up late into the night, sharing a bucket of hot chocolate and a mound of math problems.

"Yeah, I know." She crumpled up the plastic bags and threw them into the bucket under the sink. "So, I want to go on patrol with you guys tonight. Is that okay?" she asked quietly, setting a pot of water on the stove.

"We aren't going tonight. Donnie had a migraine earlier so we decided not to." Melanie's face fell, so Leo couldn't help but add, "We're going tomorrow."

"Can I go? Please, please, please?" she said in a little girl voice hanging onto his arm.

"I dunno," Leo hesitated. She was so cute when she begged. He couldn't resist her puppy dog face. Mikey had taught her well. He turned around and put away some dishes Raph had left on the counter, trying to get the backbone to say no. "You haven't been training with us."

"Leo, please?" She was quiet for a minute and he turned around. He instantly regretted giving in. If it was possible, Leo swore her eyes got bigger. Melanie held back the smile at his expression. "I miss it. A lot." Her bottom lip began to quiver.

Leo sighed. "Oh alright. But only if you stay with me." She began nodding, and Leo emphasized "At all times!"

A mischievous grin crossed her face and his face dropped to his hands. "What am I gonna do with you?" he said, more to himself than her, as he left the room.

Melanie just laughed and hunted for a box of noodles, finally finding them and pouring them into the pot. Mikey would show up any moment to ask her what she was making. As if one cue, he walked through the door and wrapped her in a crushing hug.

"Mikey….Can't…Breathe."

He ignored her and looked into the pot on the stove. "Ooh, whatcha makin'? I'm starved!"

"Mikey!" He loosened his hold slightly and she gulped in a breath of air. "I'm making Alfredo! Now get off!"

Mikey snickered. "But I love my little sister so so much!" He picked her up and swung her back and forth.

"You asked for it." She muttered. She twisted her arm and pried his grip open at the same time her leg twisted behind his knee. She tugged free and knocked him to the ground, pinning his wrists to the floor above his head.

"Who's the better nina now, champion?" she sneered. He just grinned sheepishly.

Don walked into the kitchen, but despite seeing Melanie laying on top of his brother, he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a soda. "Getting' freaky in the kitchen, love birds?"

They bother laughed and she rolled off of him, accepting his hand to help her up. She brushed herself off and Mikey playfully punched Don in the stomach. He didn't even flinch.

"You missed out on some good action, bro. She's one tough cookie!"

"I'm sure." He said tiredly and shuffled back to his lab. Mel frowned and returned to making dinner. Mikey pulled out some vegetables and began chopping lettuce for a salad as she poured creamy white sauce into the bowl of steaming noodles. She smiled when a soft peck on her cheek was followed by arms wrapping around her stomach.

"Mmm. You smell good. I'm so glad you're here. I can't say I miss eating pizza and macaroni and cheese all the time." Raph said more to Mikey than to her.

"Hey, I always cooked. You could have pitched in every once and a while." Mikey snickered.

Raph's forehead rested on her shoulder and she felt him sigh. "Bad day?" she whispered. He slightly nodded. "Me too."

He gave one last squeeze and went to he cupboard, pulling out an assortment of cups and chipped dishes. Mikey and Melanie set the food on the table, and as if on cue, the other three walked in.

"Hello, Sensei." Melanie said, hugging her father.

"Hello, my daughter." They all sat down and stacked their plates. Melanire smiled, taking in the familiar sight. Dinner was full of laughter and debate, and cleaning up had to be her favorite part of the day. Her brothers always did the dishes. When she would try to help, especially after she had made the meal, one of them would hold her hostage while the other three cleaned and joked around with each other. She decided to let them clean for once, and took a quick shower.

After the dishes were clean, they all sat down to watch a movie. Much to everyone's despair, it was Mikey's turn to pick and they ended up watching a cheesy old Western flick. Melanie felt her eyes get heavy halfway through and she leaned on Donnie's shoulder the rest of the movie. After the movie ended, Don thought she was asleep and had Raph carry her to her room. She relaxed into his strong hold, and all too soon found him draping the covers over her body. She was soon fast asleep.

_A shadow chased her through a dark tunnel, and she soon found herself at a dead end. A hard hand struck her face and she suddenly couldn't see anything. She heard three distinct thunder claps that shook the ground. Then a faint light appeared, and she ran towards it, struggling to keep her footing on the slippery ground. She suddenly tripped and fell, screaming for help._

She shot up in bed, the scream cutting off and her heart racing from the falling feeling. Her blankets were on the floor and she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering in the dank cold. She wiped a stray tear from her eye, and rolled off her bed. She tip toed out of her room and down the hall. She wouldn't hear the tv, so everyone must have been in bed. She silently walked the few feet to Donnie's room and opened the door. Mikey was curled up next to him, so she shut the door. She couldn't sleep in Raph's hammock with him, and she had never been brave enough to disturb him in his sleep. She had heard stories. So she walked down to Leo's room and softly opened the door. He was turned towards her, but his breathing was slow and even, so he was still asleep. She crept forward and gently crawled in next to him, pulling the covers to her chin. She shivered violently, realizing how cold she was, and Leo suddenly opened his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he whispered. She realized tears were dripping down her face.

"I had a nightmare." She whimpered, embarrassed that it had frightened her.

"Come here." He opened his arms and pulled her close. He was quiet for a moment and started brushing her damp hair with his fingers. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I was running from a shadow, and he cornered me. He smacked me and I fell down and couldn't see anything. There was a bunch of thunder, and then a soft light. And ran towards it, but the ground was slippery and I fell. I woke up crying." She looked up at Leo but he was staring at the wall, his eyes focused on something that wasn't there.

"What?" she whispered.

He seemed dazed for a minute, then just looked own at her. "I'll tell you in the morning. Just sleep now. You're safe." He started humming and her eyes softly closed, but she fell asleep still curious about what he would tell her.


	5. Chapter 5

Melanie woke the next morning still huddled in Leo's bed. Leo was not next to her or anywhere else in his room. He was probably in the dojo. She quickly made his bed and stumbled to her room. She found an old t-shirt and a pair of her favorite faded jeans. The bathroom was empty, so they all must be training. She took a quick shower and threw her wet hair into a pony tail. By the time she was ready for the day, there was still no one in sight, so she headed to the kitchen and began to make crepes and fruit sauce, one of her favorites. She had a large stack by the time she heard the door to the dojo open and the smell of sweaty bodies drafted in.

"You guys smell lovely." She grimaced as they all came in and plopped into the wooden chairs at the table. Mikey hopped up and teasingly threatened to bury her face under his arm, but she kicked him in the stomach and he stumbled back a few steps.

Raph laughed. "The feline is feisty this mornin'"

"I'm always feisty." She snickered.

"That smells…_Achoo!_ Wonderful." Donnie whimpered.

"Donnie, when did you go to bed last night?" Melanie asked, setting the piles of food on the table. She looked at him sternly as she put a palm on his forehead.

"It must have been midnight." He said. She gave him a piercing glance. "Okay it was 3." He muttered.

"Ugh, what am I gonna do with you? No wonder you don't feel good. You have a fever. Leo, grab the Motrin, Mikey put some broth on the stove, Raph get some blankets." After a few moments, she looked up and saw them all standing, watching her. "Ahem?" They all darted off in different directions. "Come on Don, come sit on the couch."

Splinter appeared out of the dojo as Don sat in the recliner and she tucked pillows under his shell. He was laughing lightly.

"What, Master?" she puzzled.

"If only I could get them to obey me as they do you." He laughed.

Melanie smiled. "They're just scared I won't feed them if they don't do what I ask."

"Damn right." Raph said, throwing a blanket to Melanie. "We'd all starve."

Leo appeared with a glass of water and the bottle of pills and handed them to her. She shook out a few and handed them and the glass to Donnie. "Alright, close your eyes and I'll bring you the soup when it's done."

Donnie shut his eyes and shifted deeper into the chair. "Thanks, Mel."

She smiled and they all walked back to the kitchen, finally sitting down to eat. The food was soon gone, and the boys did the dishes before she had the chance to even stand up. She had tried to catch Leo's eye and ask him about what he had been talking about last night, but he discreetly managed to avoid her gaze.

"So, what are we gonna do today?" Mikey pestered as Melanie took the steaming broth off of the stove and poured it into a bowl.

"Mel, do you have anything?" Leo asked.

"Nope, I'm free all today and tomorrow."

"You know what this means." Mikey said mysteriously, tip toeing towards her. She ignored and walked past him, grabbing a spoon and taking it to her brother. "X-men Marathon!" He yelled. Raph and Leo got up and bopped him on the head.

"Actually Mike, I was gonna do some meditation with Leo for a while, but after I'll kick your butt at Mario Kart." She said smugly.

"Yeah, right. Come on Raph, we need to practice so we can slaughter her." Mikey grabbed his brother's hand and tugged him into the living room. Leo walked towards the dojo without a word, and Melanie followed. Once Leo had turned the lights down after lighting a few candles, he knelt across from her and sighed.

"When we found you and brought you here eight years ago, Master Splinter decided that it would best not to tell you how we found you. When you woke up, you had trouble remembering what had happened. Donnie said it was because your young mind didn't want to process the trauma you had gone through and had basically buried that information. We, thinking it best to shield you from that pain, created the story that you know now and hiding the truth. Master Splinter knew it would come back one day, that your memories would emerge, and I took it upon myself to tell you, since I was the one that found you."

Melanie's face twisted in confusion, and Leo sighed. "Melanie, I found you the night your parents died." An unconscious tear slipped down her cheek, glinting in the yellow light.

"The guys and I had been playing ninja tag, and I was running across roofs near the apartment when I heard the gunshots. By the time I got to the window, they were both dead. I snuck in to see if their attacker was still there, but I hear a noise. It was you. You had hidden yourself in a closet and you grabbed a coat and shoes and climbed out the window. You got onto the roof and started walking away. I followed you, but eventually you came to an alley gap and you collapsed in the rain." Leo's voice was soft and sad, remembering the fear in the girl's eyes when she had awoken in the lair.

Melanie was silent, realizing that the boys hadn't simply taken her in because they had found her roaming the streets and found her adorable. "Leo," she whispered. "How did they die?"

Leo cringed at the question. He knew he couldn't lie to her. She was strong enough to take the truth now, but he didn't want to. She was his little sister that he had to protect against the nightmares and bad things of the world. As he had watched her grow up with them and turn into a beautiful young girl, each day she had become more fragile and delicate, a beauty to protect in his eyes. The day they had decided that she needed to go out in the world and become a human had been the hardest day for him. She had spent six years living like them; being an invisible protector of the city. The day he had watched her clamber to the surface alone had torn his heart. It had taken all of his strength not to follow her in the broad daylight. April had been there and had stayed by her side as she had walked the surface for the first time as a normal person. But that hadn't stopped Leo from pacing every minute until she had gotten back. Even though Melanie was tough and strong, she was different from his brothers, not only in the human vs. turtle sense. It had become easy to see her as one of them, so he didn't see her as an outsider. She was family, and his need to protect her was greater than with his brothers. Leo had seen what the outside world could do to a woman, especially pretty, delicate ones like Melanie, and he fought against that every day of his life. Though Melanie was tough around them, Leo had seen her soft side. She was very good at hiding when she was hurt, just like Leo, and he was proud of her for that. But he knew that she would try to hide the pain in what he needed to tell her, but he would be able to see through it. He would see the fear and pain that came with the real world. He didn't want to be the one to crack the tough shell of innocence surrounding her.

"I don't know." Leo muttered.

"Yes you do." She said sternly. "Tell me."

He sighed and it felt like a punch in the gut as he said, "Your father."

Melanie didn't move. She didn't make a sound, but when Leo looked up he could see the pain in her eyes. "Oh." She said after a moment.

Leo didn't know what to do. He had just shattered her perfect world by bringing up the past. "Melanie…" he whispered, but she shook her head.

She stood up and ran to the door. "I need some air." She whispered as she slipped out the door.

Leo buried his face in his hands. He had just destroyed the innocence and naivety of the person he fought hardest to protect. Every time he would find an innocent woman out in the streets with gang members, especially Purple Dragons, he would always see Melanie in the frightened face of the woman as the rough men would close in on her. Leo had lost count of how many times this had happened, and he didn't want to know.

Leo sighed and blew out the candles, stood up, and walked out of the dojo. He had to follow Melanie to make sure she was safe. He knew that she wasn't mad at him, just what he had told her. He knew she needed some comfort, and he knew that she would want him. She had last night, and she would today. Last night had reminded him of a night eight years ago.

It had been about a week after they had rescued Mel, and she hadn't said a word yet, but she had smiled a few times which had been a good sign. Leo and his brothers had been fifteen at the time, and Splinter had had to make sure that the curious turtles didn't smother or frighten her. She hadn't seemed to mind the attention though and any time she could she wandered around the lair, and being the curious ten year old that she was, investigated every inch of the place. She had slept on the couch, with all the lights on because they were still working on getting a room of rubble cleared out for her.

It had been close to midnight when he had heard his door open. He had fought the urge to move, knowing it would frighten her. He slowly turned to his other side and looked right into her big brown eyes.

"Leo?" she had whispered, and Leo couldn't stop his jaw from dropping a little bit.

"Hi," he whispered with a smile.

"Hi," she whispered back.

"What's up?" He said, sitting up.

"I had a nightmare." She sniffled. He instantly pulled aside the covers and scooted over. She hesitantly hopped onto the bed and laid down. Leo draped the covers over her small body, and laid down next to her. After a few moment of silence, she carefully scooted over and laid on his arm. He smiled and tucked her under his arm, with her face resting against his shoulder.

That adorable ten year old had won his heart, and now he needed to go fix the one he had just hurt.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am so bad at doing these. I get too caught up in the story and forget! So sorry! Just a side note, the description of Melanie is pretty much my own description, and yes, I have a patch of freckles on my upper lip and I am constantly asked if it is a scar or chocolate. I know, rather random. Anyways, hope you are enjoying this! Please R and R!**

**Don't know if I like the rewrite. It seems really babbly to me. Let me know what I can do to fix it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT**

Leo found Melanie a few blocks from the nearest manhole to their home. She was leaning against a billboard, gazing down at the thick lunch traffic below. She sat at the edge, and a shadow conveniently fell inches from her. Leo knew it was no coincidence. _Smart girl_ he though to himself proudly.

"Hey," She said just as he had opened his mouth to say the same.

"I see your hearing hasn't dulled." He said as he sat down next to her, hidden in the shadow. He noted the streaks down her cheeks and the puffiness around. "You okay?" he whispered.

She was silent for a few moments, keeping her eyes on the streets, and he waited for her to speak. "Why didn't you just leave me for the police to find?"

Leo hadn't expected a question and it took him by surprise. He thought about it for a moment, then said, "It never even crossed my mind."

"But why?" she asked, turning to face him. He saw several emotions buried in her golden brown eyes.

"Because it was so obvious that you didn't want the cops to find you."

"You could have taken me back after I fell asleep."

"I could have, but you made it so obvious that you didn't want that. You didn't want to go to a foster home. You didn't want to be there. You were stubborn, just like four turtles I happen to know. And besides, Mikey wanted to keep you and name you Penelope." She smiled and turned away. "Hey," he said softly, placing a green finger under her chin and turning her back to face him. "You don't have to be brave Mel for me. You're my Lanie, remember? You don't have to hide your emotions from me."

A tear trickled down her cheek and Leo wiped it away. "I just don't understand how someone could be so bitter and angry that they would kill their own family. He abused me didn't he?"

"Donnie found signs of abuse, yes." Leo answered sadly. "I'm the same way you are. I could never imagine our family like that. But I think the reason that happens is because people don't really understand what love is. Out here, there are so many distractions and things that don't matter, that people take the things that do matter for granted. They think things like family and love can be easily bought and replaced. Our family is different. Just look how we were raised. We've had to fight and struggle for every single thing our whole lives, but I think that it has made us better and realize how lucky we are to have the things we do, and we know how valuable each and every person is." Leo wrapped his arms around Melanie and she buried herself into his chest. He pulled back when he felt tears running down his arm. "Mel, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," She sat up and brushed the tears from her face. "Just, lately, I've been thinking about how I'm almost eighteen and most people my age are starting to leave home and look for that someone they want to marry. But now I'm too scared. What if I end up like my mom?" She fell back into his embrace and he ran a hand through her hair.

"Melanie, I know you. You won't settle for anything but the best. And besides, we'll be around to keep him in line."

"I don't think I'm strong or brave enough to leave and risk it, though."

"Yes you are." Leo said quickly. "If it's really what you want, I know there's no stopping you." Leo suddenly had a gut wrenching fear of losing the delicate prize in his arms. "But the lucky guy had better be one shell of a gentleman or you know what Raph will do."

Melanie smiled. "No, Leo. I won't ever find anyone better than you guys. I don't want to leave. I'd miss you too much. And there's no one on this blasted planet that will love me better than the family I have now. For right now, I'm happy just being with you."

"Well, whatever path your life takes, your brothers and Splinter, and I will always be here and protect you." Leo squeezed her shoulders and held her out at arms length, taking in the sight of her. He didn't know how she had no boys on her tail yet. Leo thought his little sister was the image of an angel. Her wavy brown hair fell in soft curls halfway down her back. Her light peach skin was covered in faint freckles that had faded over the years, all but one small cluster resting on her upper lip. From arms length, it looked like some kind of scar or a smudge of chocolate, but closer up one could make out five individual "angle kisses" as Melanie had called them. Her golden brown eyes nearly matched his hazel ones, but when Leo looked at them, he could see Splinter's chocolate brown eyes. Melanie hardly ever wore make up, but Leo didn't think she needed it. Her body was slim and slender, but she had what Mikey called a "model's envy" body. She was slightly shorter than him, standing at 5'6", and her small size allowed her to move with a grace and speed he and his brothers could never manage.

Melanie smiled and looked up at him. He lost himself in the honey colored pools. They were the same eyes that had first stared up at him eight years ago. Back then, they had been frightened and tormented, but now they held a spark of life and laughter. Even though at the time it had been a rash decision, he was glad that, for once in his life, he had acted without thinking, because it had brought him the young woman he held in his arms. There were many reasons that he was glad he made that choice at spur of the moment. Melanie did so much for the family. Since the age of sixteen, Melanie had held a job and pretty much supported and few the family. They no longer had to scavenge for food or leech off of April for food when they couldn't find money. Their diet no longer consisted of boxed dinners and pizza take out. Thanks to Melanie, they had an extensive supply of everything. On top of that, Melanie had enrolled in an online high school at age fourteen and graduated by her seventeenth birthday. She applied for and won a full ride scholarship and was now studying to be who knows what. And if those accomplishments weren't enough, Melanie had also excelled in ninjutsu. She was smaller and lighter than her brothers, allowing her more speed and less strength, but that didn't stop her from kicking their butts from time to time. She had also proved her ability to hold her own in fights with the Foot and Purple Dragons. One memory in particular stood out in Leo's mind. It had been about a year ago, on a crisp November night and they had run into the foot while out on patrol. The turtles had been outnumbered, but they had quickly been depleted, until the Elite showed up. Melanie had gotten separated and was fighting a small cluster of Foot soldiers when Leo had been knocked and pinned to the ground by an Elite. Melanie saw the caped figure poise to strike and somehow dodged around the ninjas she was fighting and shoved the Elite away just as his blade came down, meeting the pavement inches from his head. Melanie had dislocated her shoulder and received a nice gash on her leg from fighting the Elite, giving Leo time to recover. Leo was furious, but at himself. He hated to think what would have happened had Melanie not been there. There had been several times, just like this morning, when he or his brothers had been ill or injured and she had jumped right in, her motherly side taking over. There had also been times when he had been not physically sick or injured, but hurting inside just the same. Three years ago, Splinter had gotten very sick and they were all frightened he wouldn't make it. Leo had put on façade and hidden his fear so that he could take care of his brothers. But one night when Leo had been taking care of his father in his room, Melanie had come in and asked him if he was okay. It had been the middle of the night, and Leo was tired and frustrated that he couldn't do anything to help his father. He had gotten angry and even said some things that made him cringe even now, but Melanie had remained silent, and before he knew it, he was crying in her arms. Leo had later been embarrassed and apologized to Melanie, but she had blown it off and told him to come to her when he needed support. And from that night he had, and he had found life a lot easier. Melanie understood things his brothers didn't, and it felt wonderful to voice his emotions and not have to worry about being judged or scrutinized. Melanie was, in his mind, an angel sent to help him and protect him when others wouldn't or didn't understand. She was a guardian angel.

Melanie blushed. "What are you looking at?"

"I honestly don't know how you don't have boys lined up at the door to take you out." He said standing up and tugging her with him.

She laughed, and playfully shoved him. "I told you, boys are jerks out here."

"I know," he sighed. "Race you home?"

She smiled and shot past him without a word.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Alright I'm trying to get better with these. I'm hoping this story get finished within the next 5 chapters MAX. But bear with me if it goes longer. Thanks for reading! Please R and R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

"Shhhh, you are so noisy!"

"Am not."

"Both of you, shut up." Raph hissed to his little brothers. "So, what do you think they're up to Leo? They ain't doin' notin."

"I don't know," The blue clad turtle whispered back. "Any ideas, Lanie?"

Melanie squinted trying to make out the still scene below her. There was no movement, and the scene would look almost normal except for the dark armored truck parked next to the looming brick building, partially hidden in the shadow of the alley. A knot in her stomach told her something wasn't right. "I really don't know."

"Well den, we'd better get a closer look, eh Fearless?" Raph said as he swung over the ledge and leapt to the building on their right.

"Raph!" Leo hissed, but he, Mikey, and Donnie were already halfway to reaching the rooftop of the building the armored truck sat next to. Melanie just made out the words _Chandler's Fine Jewelry _on a dim neon sign out front. Melanie scoffed. She had never seen a point to jewelry. The only piece she had ever worn was a leather band the turtles had made for her for her sixteenth birthday. They had each carved their initial into it as well as delicately inscribing her full name in elegant cursive. Melanie had never taken it off except to shower. She unconsciously shifted it on her wrist as she recalled the memory.

The armored truck sat in the alley next to the building. Leo let out a frustrated sigh and Leo motioned for Melanie to follow him as he jumped to the left, covering two sides of the alley.

A single street light faintly lit about a third of the alley, allowing plenty of shadow for Melanie and the boys to stay hidden in. A sudden movement below caused Leo and Melanie to fall to their stomachs and gaze over the edge of the building. Six burly men in dark clothing fumbled out of the back of the van, and two hopped out of the front. Melanie shivered as a cold breeze tickled her arms. Leo snickered next to her. She had on her normal sparring outfit consisting of a sleeveless, collared soft leather top, her black yoga pants as well as leather bands on her elbows and wrist like her brothers wore. She didn't know how they could stand being out in the freezing cold, being cold blooded and all.

The small group of punks gathered at the back of the truck and swung open the door, and they all scrambled to grab various weapons. Leo spotted at least three guns, and every scum bag held either some kind of club or metal rod. Melanie spotted the familiar dragon tattoo slithered across a particularly big man's arm. She growled and Leo's upturned in a grin. The burly man that Melanie presumed was their designated leader rushed towards the side door and broke it down with a single strike. Two of the men with guns rushed in. All but two of the others rushed in, weapons raised. A movement on the roof opposite them caught her eye. Raph was signaling Leo, seeing if it was time to move in. Leo signaled no just as the men returned, two Dragons dragging a well dressed man out into the alley.

"Let go of me! You have no right!" The man struggled against the hold on his arms.

The burly one laughed and smacked the young man across the cheek, causing him to yelp in pain. "You're pops owes the Dragons money, and he ain't paid, so we here to collect."

"You took the money! Leave me alone!"

Leo leaned over and whispered in Melanie's ear. "They have guns. We're gonna need complete darkness to take them out."

"I can take care of that." Melanie smirked.

Leo softly laughed. "Alright, wait for my signal."

Melanie crept to the edge of the building nearest the street lamp and strained to hear the conversation happening below.

"Ah, but dere's always interest on loans, pretty boy, and we Dragons don't like waitin' for our money. So we gotta give your daddy an incentive to pay." Melanie silently snarled, wanting to wrap her hands around the creep's neck.

Leo raised his arm in the signal, and Melanie leapt towards the light, unsheathing her single katana and slashing upwards, shattering the light bulb. Luckily she had managed to wrap her free arm around the pole before the world plunged into darkness and she couldn't see anything. She slid to the ground and slowly crept into the alley. Her sight slowly returned, and she crouched next to the van, listening and watching for her brothers. The now frightened Dragons had their weapons aimed towards the mouth of the alley, and she tried to keep calm as she saw a gun pointed straight at her. She gulped and prayed they wouldn't get spooked and fire. A sudden noise from the back of the alley made her happy enough to cry. All the gang members spun towards the sound, and Melanie watched as her green comrades swiftly and silently took down the group without even unsheathing their weapons. Melanie hopped on top of the van to avoid the struggle, and ducked when Burly dragged the young man towards the passenger side door. She crouched and flung herself onto him, grabbing onto his shirt and flinging him to the ground with all her strength, but he simply stumbled backwards. Burly growled and shoved the man towards the brick wall, and Melanie winced as he crumpled to the ground. Burly sprang towards her and she barely dodged a forceful punch. She could still hear struggles coming from behind the van, and she knew she was alone. She obviously didn't have the strength to take down burly, but she had speed. She flipped and dodged his blows, but he soon caught on and threw a foot out, jabbing her in the ribcage. The wind left her lungs and she struggled for breath as he grabbed her hair in one hand and her wrist in the other. A sickening snap met her ears when he twister her arm behind her, but she had no air to scream. He pinned her body in between his and the cold brick wall.

"I didn't think I'd get to have fun with a girl tonight, too." He sneered into her ear, and she intensified her struggling as he bit into her neck. She heard a loud thump, and his grip went slack as he fell to the ground. She began to tip over, but familiar green arms kept her on her feet.

"Mel, are you okay?" Donnie began looking over her and she hid her hurt wrist behind her back.

"You touch my sister again, you won't live to see the next frickin' sunrise, punk ass." Raph growled as he shoved Burly under the truck.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He just knocked the wind out of me." Melanie knew her wrist was broken, and it stung and ached like no other, but she quickly said. "He's not okay though." Melanie walked over to the fallen man and knelt beside him. Donnie was soon at her side, and the other three were huddled over them.

"He's kinda funny lookin'." Mikey said. Raph bopped him on the head after a hushed "shut up Mikey".

"Will he be okay Don?" Leo asked as his brother examined the man.

"I think so. He should be waking up right about…." A moan escaped the man's lips and his eyelids fluttered. "Now!" Donnie shot backwards and all four of them disappeared before Melanie could even stand. She pushed back on her heels, preparing to dart to the nearest fire escape, but a soft, cold hand touched her arm.

"Wait," the man croaked and he struggle to push himself up. Melanie helped him into a sitting position against the brick. He blinked and looked around, then drew his eyes to her again. "Are…Are you….what…I mean." He stuttered. Melanie watched him for a moment. He was about her age, probably a few years older, with light copper skin and light brown hair. He had a handsome face, and Melanie noticed how his arms stretched the dark material on his arms. She could tell that he was tall and well built even though he was sitting. The only thing she couldn't see was the color of his eyes.

"I helped you." She whispered, careful not to irritate his sure sensitivity to loud noises.

"Why?" he muttered.

"It's just what I do." She responded. Her arm throbbed in pain as the adrenaline wore off, leaving room for the pain to begin. She bit her lip and tenderly help her wrist, she winced as the bones in her wrist shifted.

He looked around again and saw the several dark unconscious bodies laying in the street. "You cannot tell me…that you did all this."

"I never said that." She retorted, suddenly feeling dizzy. She wanted to go home and have Donnie knock her out with some painkillers.

"Oh," he said, pushing a hand to his temple.

"My brothers and I took them out." She said quickly and began to walk away again, and once again a hand touched her arm.

"Wait, I need to thank you." He said, pulling a pen and crumpled paper out of his pocket. Melanie stood stupefied.

"No, sir, that's thanks enough." She said, lightly tugging away from his hold.

"What's your address?" He asked. Melanie was officially wierded out and glanced upwards, hoping for a rescue.

"Um, I don't live around here." She lied quickly.

"Oh," he said sadly. His face crinkled in thought and she couldn't help but thinking that it looked like it hurt him to think. "Then what's your number?"

Melanie panicked, but a snicker crossed her face. She gave him the number and had to fight to hold back a laugh despite feeling sick to her stomach. He pocketed his pen and paper, and Melanie caught the sound of sirens in the distance. Leo must have called. She finally tugged free of his hold and backed into the shadows. He called for her to come back but she was already at the end of the alley.

"Hey," Raph hung upside down and she jumped as he spoke. He flipped over and landed on the ground next to her. He noticed how she was holding her arm and he reached for her. "Mel, you okay?" He asked, gingerly touching her bare skin.

The sirens were getting louder and Mikey called down from the roof, asking if everything was alright. Melanie started to climb the fire escape, but Raph knocked her off of her feet and carried her to the roof. They all ran a few blocks to stay clear of the incident before Raph would set her down.

"Raph, I'm fine." Melanie insisted as Donnie took hold of her arm.

"Careless, selfless punk." He responded, and Melanie kissed him on the cheek.

"So, how was your date?" Mikey asked playfully as Donnie felt around her wrist for the break. She knew he was trying to distract her, but it didn't stop the yelp as Donnie pushed a certain place on her wrist.

"Yupp, definitely broken. I need to set it now so it won't get worse" He muttered and bent down to rummage through his bag. So they all settled down onto the cold rooftop. Leo came up behind her and let her lean against his plastron and she grabbed his hand with her good one and squeezed.

"So, we need all the juicy details." Mikey said again. Leo glared at him but Melanie shook her head. Donnie came to her arm with bandages and tape. Melanie looked away and bit onto her tongue. Donnie set his finger in place, and she began to shake. Leo wrapped his free arm around her and Raph stroked her hair. Donnie pushed, and a tear dripped down her face, but she managed to hold back a scream. Donnie began wrapping her wrist and her breathing slowed. The silence was tense, so she decided to answer Mikey.

"He must have hit his head pretty hard cuz he asked for my number." Mikey and Raph instantly fell over laughing, and even Leo and Don were having a hard time stifling their laughter. Melanie smiled as Mikey and Raph playfully teased her.

"Oh Melanie, I looked into your eyes for the first time a moment ago, and already I have an undying love for you. May I have your phone number?" Mikey fell to his knees in front of Raph.

"Oh, of course. You're not a creeper at all!" Raph teased in a falsetto voice. Melanie laughed at that one.

"I did not do that! He bonked his head pretty bad. He probably didn't know what he was talking about!"

"Wait, so you didn't give him your digits?" Mikey asked.

"Nope," She laughed. "I gave him yours."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** **Alright I don't know if I like this chapter. It's kinda short. Anyways, please R and R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

After everyone, including Mikey, had a good laugh, Leo and Raph helped Melanie to her feet and they made their way back home. Donnie gave her some sedatives and Raph ended up carrying her to her room and gently laying her in her bed. She started to shiver, so he found some extra blankets and covered her as best he could.

"Leo," The blue clad turtle came out of his trance as Raph walked past him and out of Melanie's room.

"Raph," Leo answered. He looked back into the room once more and made sure she was asleep.

"Can we talk?" his brother said gruffly.

"Sure," Leo responded and followed his red banded brother into the kitchen. Leo pulled out a pot to make some tea as his brother pulled a soda from the fridge and sat down at the table. "What did you want to talk about?"

Raphael was quiet for a moment and Leo turned to make sure he was still there. Raph had always had a hard time voicing his thoughts, but Leo knew if he waited long enough, Raph would open up.

"You told 'er didn't ya?" He asked softly. When Leo nodded, he continued. "She didn't take it well I'm guessin'?"

Leo nodded again. "She'll be okay, though. She's tough." Leo pulled out a mug, poured his tea and sat down across from his brother. The lair was dark and quiet except for them.

"I know. Sometimes dat girl is tougher 'en all of us." They both smiled. "Anyways, I wanted to talk to you bout 'er birthday next week."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that too." Leo said. "It's on Friday, right? The 7th?"

Raph nodded. "Our little girl's gonna be da big 18 and I got no clue what to get her. She deserves so much more than we can get her."

"I know. If it weren't for her, we'd still have to scavenge for supplies. She goes to school for herself, but at the same time for us too so she can get a better job. And everything else she does is for the good of this family. She works her butt off and barely gets anything in return." Leo said sadly. "I can't believe her some days. Why would she work forty-plus hours on top of school every week for us?"

"Cuz she loves us bro, just like we love her."

"She's incredible. No offense, but even April didn't do this much for us."

"I know how you feel bro. She's a hero."

"And what do you get a hero for her birthday?" Leo asked. "Has she talked to you about her birthday at all?"

"Nope, the selfless brat hasn't even mentioned it. I wouldn't be surprised if she's completely forgotten that she even has one."

Leo sighed. "She's a tough one. Casey wasn't kiddin' when he said that girls are almost too complicated to keep around. Almost."

Raph laughed. "It's true. She is more complicated and harder to shop for than us guys. It don't help dat she's the only girl in the family."

"What are you boys doing up at this late hour?" a stern, raspy voice said from the doorway. Leo and Raph both jumped and landed on the table, weapons drawn, only to see their father enter the kitchen.

"Sensei, you scared us!" Raph said, his heart still pounding in his ears.

"What are you doing up, Father?" Leo asked as his rat teacher poured himself a cup of tea and sat down at the head of the table.

"I overheard your conversation, my sons, and I too have been wondering what to get your sister for her birthday." He took a sip of his steaming tea. "I agree that Melanie has done so much for this family. I have confronted her many times and asked her to take it easy and do things for herself, but she always refuses."

"Stubborn, selfless little…." Raph muttered.

"She is like her oldest brothers." Splinter smiled.

"But what do we get her, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"What does she enjoy, my son?"

Leo and Raph pondered for a moment. "She loves music." Raph offered.

"She already has that Ipod Donnie fixed for her, though."

"Your sister enjoys nature as well." Splinter said.

"Master Splinter, that's it!"

"What Leo?"

"It's perfect!" Leo said excitedly.

"What is Leo?" Raph huffed. Leo bent in and whispered in his ear. Both he and Splinter smiled as he revealed his idea. The next hour was spent making arrangements. Master Splinter went to bed as soon as the general idea was finalized, and Leo and Raph stayed up to work out the details. By the time they were done, the clock on the kitchen wall read quarter to two. Raph stumbled to his room and crawled into his hammock. His body ached and the fresh scratch on his arm itched, but he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Alrught, I admit, this is a filler chapter. Kinda scattered all over the place, but trust me, things in this chapter will be important later! So pay attention! Enjoy and please R and R, cuz I like knowing what I do wrong.**

**Also! I am going to rewrite chapter 6 next so make sure you go back and read it within the next few days. **

**Disclaimer: I only own TMNT when I dream.**

The nest few days passed slowly for Raphael. He had told his two younger brothers of the plan the next morning, and they both loved it By Wednesday, everyone, including Raph were anxious to surprise Melanie. The birthday girl seemed oblivious to her brothers' anxiety, which was good because if she had been paying attention to anything but her exams, Mikey would have given it away a long time ago. She and Donnie had spent the past three days locked up in his lab studying, and the more Raph watched her at meal times, the more he was convinced that she needed what she was gonna get.

Raph came out of his memories as Melanie walked into the kitchen. Mikey was making dinner and Leo and Splinter were in the dojo. Donnie was across from him, his beak buried in a math textbook of Melanie's.

"Hey," she said tiredly as she sat down and laid her head on her arms. She had thrown on some of Raph's old torn clothes that he had once used to get around topside when he couldn't stay in the shadows, a red t shirt that showed a large piece of her white tank top beneath, and a large pair of grey sweats. Her long hair was messily tugged into a pony tail on the crown of her head, and she wore her fuzzy slippers and reading glasses. Despite her bum look, Raph couldn't help but think she was beautiful. Sure, she had grown up as his sister, but he felt that if circumstances had been different, he would have a different relationship with her. He didn't have those feelings for her now, but he had in the past. Even though she reminded him of Leo most out of all of his brothers, he still found her intoxicating some days. She was so complicated and hard to figure it out, but, piece by piece, he had put her together, and was proud of every aspect of her. Perhaps that was why he was so protective of her. He knew that she put on a tough face for them, but underneath, Raph saw the delicate rose that she was. Elegant, graceful, yet humble, caring, and hardworking, Melanie was what Raph pictured the perfect woman. He loved her dearly, and couldn't stand to see her hurting, even if she tried not to show him. He glared at the cast on her wrist. He really couldn't explain his love for Melanie. Of course he loved his father and brothers, but that was different. He fought and bickered and pulled away from his brothers when he needed a break, but he never felt that way with Melanie. He knew there was only so much time before she would go off on her own and leave, and he felt like he needed to treasure the time he had with her. He knew that she would still visit, but it wouldn't be the same as having her around all the time to keep the balance and peace. Before they had found her, Raph had bickered with all of his brothers, especially Leo, over stupid things, but when she had come into their lives, the pointless arguments and fighting had stopped. In Raph's eyes, Melanie was a princess that graciously kept peace and brought love into the family that had never been there before.

"Hey princess," Raph smiled, please at his new perspective of his sister.

"Princess, huh?" she laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about cuz I sure don't look it today and last I checked Mikey wasn't a girl."

"You mean you've checked?" Raph sneered, knowing he had caught her in a corner.

"Don't have to. Girls have thing's Mikey doesn't and I doubt we could find a bra that would fit him, so I guess he has to be a boy." She snickered.

Raph stood up and swept her into a hug and nuzzled her neck. "Okay, you win." He whispered.

"Aw, Donnie, look at the love birds!" Mikey teased, shortly after, Raph smacked him and he whimpered. Melanie laughed and sat down next to Donnie and he began to explain some theorem about remainders in quad-somethin's.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Melanie and Donnie disappeared shortly after dinner and Raph, Mikey, and Leo went on a run to let off some anxiety over the events to begin the next day.

Donnie threw the door of the dojo open and ran towards his lab, rushing to get the first aid kit. Leo accidentally nicked Raph in the shoulder when they had been sparring, but he paused when he saw Melanie fast asleep on the couch. He glanced at the clock on the wall; she must have been there for a good half an hour. She was lying on her side, her hurt arm held away from her body to avoid rolling on it. Donnie smiled. Melanie had never ceased to amaze him. As he ran to his lab and grabbed the small box, he thought of how much she had grown over the years. Donnie had watched her, fascinated by the capacity her mind had to learn. His brothers had grown up at the same time he did, but with Melanie, he had had the chance to watch as she bloomed and excelled in almost everything she did. She had taught herself to play the piano with little help from April on a keyboard they had found, she had excelled in ninjutsu, and Master Splinter had even started doing yoga with her, a practice that she loved. On top of great accomplishments and receiving a full ride scholarship to the community college, Melanie somehow managed to cook, clean and be a mother of sorts to four boys older than her. He was constantly amazed at the things she would come home and tell him about, he was even more surprised that she took time out of her day to show him new things she learned. He couldn't help but compare her to the tiny, scared girl Leo had found eight years ago. Despite being raised by four turtles and a rat, she had blossomed into quite a prize. He had watched over the years how the struggles and challenges she had faced and the way she handled the setbacks had shaped her into the graceful, patient, pretty girl lying on the couch. Sure, she had flaws, but everyone did, but she was a pearl among coarse sand and rocks. He tenderly touched her cheek and ran back into the dojo, first aid kit in hand.

Melanie awoke to the grinding sound of engines. She blinked to clear her sight and look around. Mikey and Donnie were engaged in a car video game, and she could hear Leo and Raph talking in the kitchen. She slid off the couch and stumbled to the kitchen cupboard, grabbing two pills and a glass of water. Leo and Raph quieted when she entered, but her head hurt too much to pay attention.

"Mel, you okay?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, just a headache." She muttered after swallowing the pills and laying her head on the table.

"Dude, what's wrong with Mel?" Mikey whispered after poking his head into the kitchen.

"She's exhausted Mikey. She's had exams on subjects that you can't even pronounce." Donnie said after draping a blanket on his once again asleep sister.

"Oh yeah? Try me!" he dared.

"Chemiosmosis, phosphorylation, phospholipid bilayers, adenosine triphosphate," Donnie began.

"Okay, okay! You win." Mikey whimpered. "You're hurting my head."

Leo, Raph and Donnie laughed. "And that was only one subject." Donnie smirked.

"Will she be okay for tonight?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. Is everything ready?"

"Yupp, just gotta load it up and we're good to go." Raph said.

"Alright, well let's get dinner started. I'm betting she will go to bed soon after. Mikey?" Donnie noticed that his younger brother had disappeared. Then they heard him talking and all three walked into the main room to find Mikey lounging on the couch, his shell cell open and a phone book laid across his lap.

"Yes, I'd like five large pizzas. One plain cheese, one with olives and anchovies, one hawaiin style…Blech I dunno how she eats that…and then one with everything on it and if you could throw some jelly beans on the black ones are my favorite…." All of his brothers just smiled and shook their heads.

"Mikey, you have to be quiet. She's a light sleeper, remember?" Leo whispered as his brother crept towards Melanie's room. As Donnie had predicted, she had barely made it through dinner and went immediately to her room afterwards. "Raph, did you get plenty of blankets?" The red banded turtle nodded. "Good. Where's Donnie?"

"He's sleepin' on the couch. He's drivin' first."

"Good. Alright, I'll help Mikey. Wake Donnie and start the van, we'll be right there." Leo soon caught up to his brother and found him staring at their sleeping sister like he had never seen her before. "Mikey?"

"Hmmm." He mumbled. Melanie was curled into a ball beneath several covers. Mikey tugged back the covers, and slipped his arms underneath her back and knees, and he couldn't help but feeling like a villain kidnapping a beautiful damsel to tempt a hero with. He unconsciously smiled, and Leo gave him a curious glance as he opened the door for him. _Melanie isn't just a damsel _Mikey thought to himself. She was so much more than that. On top of cooking, cleaning, working, caring, and loving he and his brothers, Melanie still found time to go to school for herself. But it wasn't just for herself. She was going to college so that she could get a better job to support the family. Mikey didn't know how she did it. Melanie was his best friend. On the days that his brothers were to caught up in their own worlds and Mikey was left alone, Melanie would come home and she could tell he was miserable, even if he didn't show it. It was like she had some weird sixth sense. It puzzled Mikey, but she always managed to make him feel better. She would do anything with him, even if she didn't want to she would put on a smile and they'd both end up causing trouble in some way. Melanie was his rescuer. No, Melanie wasn't the damsel in distress in this story. She was the hero.

Leo cleared the way to garage, but it was still a slow journey. They would both freeze in panic when she would shift or mumble. They finally made it to the van and Mikey gingerly placed the sleeping girl into the makeshift bed covering the entire back of the van. Splinter climbed in next and curled up next to Melanie, followed by Leo. Mikey couldn't hold back his huge grin. This would be their first family road trip. Raph and Donnie were in the front, with the radio turned on low. Leo unfolded a blanket and draped it over Splinter and Melanie, then got another one for himself and waited for Mikey to hop in and shut the door. Mikey closed his eyes and snuggled up against Leo's chest, ready for their family's latest adventure to begin.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Suffering from writer's block at the moment so we'll see how this chapter goes. Let me know if I said exactly what time of the year this is supposed to be in cuz I think I wanted earlier than I had originally planned. Don't like this chapter very much. It's really short.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

Melanie opened her eyes, but quickly slammed them shut against the sharp sunlight. _Sunlight?_ She shot up and knocked her head against a shelf. She blinked and looked around. She was in the back of the van, surrounded by blankets, pillows, and coolers. But no large animals. She was alone. Confused and disoriented, she lay back down and listened. She couldn't hear anything but the faint wind whistling past the van. Minutes passed, and Melanie had just begun to doze when the back doors swung open.

"Happy birthday, Mel-bell!" Mikey shouted. Melanie shot up and squinted as Mikey climbed in the car and hugged her, but she pushed him away.

"Mikey, what's going on?"

"You'll see." He said as he tied a bandana around her eyes, picked her up, and hopped out of the car. The wind blew through her hair and she shivered. She caught the smell of pine trees and wet earth, as well as the unmistakable smell of propane.

"Mikey," She said sternly after several seconds of silence, but he just shushed her. He suddenly stopped and set her on the ground, and she tugged off the bandana. Her jaw dropped. She was standing barefoot on the beach of a small lake. She was surrounded by pine trees and meadow grass that reached her knees and swayed in the chilly breeze. A small flock of ducks was crossing the lake, and birds were singing in the branches above. Her eyes watered and she quickly wiped the tears away as she caught site of a tire swing.

"Mel? Are you mad?" Mikey's big blue eyes stared down at her.

"Michelangelo, why on Earth would I be mad?"

"I dunno…" he starter, but he was cut off when she tackled him in a hug. Donnie, Raph, Splinter and Leo suddenly appeared from the trees and she rushed to hug them all.

"I love you guys. So, so, so much!" She said as she hugged her father.

"Happy birthday, my precious daughter." He said as he stroked her hair.

"Now," she said after she had hugged each of them. "where the hell are we?"

"We are in the mountains." Raph said slowly.

"I get that Raph but the mountains where?" She asked.

"That's for us to know and you to not to." Mikey said.

Raph gently bopped him on the head and Donnie shook his head. "That's not correct grammar, Mikey. And we are in Tennessee."

"What if we're seen?" Melanie asked, and Leo noticed how she said "we" instead of "you".

"Don took care of that. We're in the most secluded place on the planet." Mikey whined. "No computer, no video games, no tv, no cement…."

"Shut it Mikey. It's good for us to be out like this. We're cooped up in the sewers all the time." Leo said.

"Don't go having a panic attack on me, Mike." Melanie said teasingly.

"Anyone hungry? 'Cause I'm starving." Raph butted in and began to walk back into the dark woods. Everyone followed and Melanie watched as all her brothers began to make breakfast, but Mikey soon took over and the other three sat down in the grass with her. They watched the clouds and picked out shapes they saw. Melanie couldn't have been happier. Being stuck in the city her whole life, she had never been out in the sunshine with her brothers without having to be hidden in shadows. It made her stomach hurt how happy she was that she could be away from the city and all the problems in it and just enjoy the nature and being with her family.

Mikey soon called for them, and a large mound of pancakes sat on the blanket Master Splinter was sitting on. They all sat down and dug into the pile. Half the mound remained and their breakfast was interrupted by a sharp ringing sound. Mikey reached for his cell and opened it up.

"Hello?"

Soft mumbling was all that could be heard from the other line, but Melanie got nervous went Mikey's eyes went wide.

"Uh, yeah just a second."

"Wow, we have service out here?" Donnie mused as Mikey passed the phone to Melanie, the grin on his face splitting it in half.

"Hello?" she said softly. Mikey mouthed the words "It's your boyfriend" just before a smooth male voice spoke.

"Um, hi? Is this the alley girl?" Melanie's stomach dropped to her toes and all of the turtles started laughing. Raph, being closest to her, got a slap on his arm, but they only laughed harder.

"Um, yeah. I guess you could call me that." She muttered.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't know your name. What is it by the way?" He stuttered.

"Melanie."

"Oh, that's a pretty name. My name is Sky Chandler."

"Nice to know, Sky."

"So, um, I was calling to say thanks again, and I was wonderin'" He paused for a moment. Her brother's teasing had resumed and Master Splinter looked at them curiously as they acted out the events of that night. "If you wanted to get coffee or somethin' sometime?"

Melanie refocused on the voice on the phone. "Um, I don't drink coffee." She felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh, then hot chocolate? I know this great place downtown. Would tonight around 7 be alright? I'll come pick you up."

"Actually, I'm out of town at the moment. I'll be back Tuesday, though."

"Oh, well how about Wednesday afternoon then?"

"Sounds great. I'll just meet you at your store."

He was quiet for a moment, and Melanie freaked out even more. "Sounds good. See you then, Melanie."

"Bye." She whispered, and se couldn't hide the smile on her face as all five of them stared at her.

"So?" Donnie said after a moment of silence.

"So?" Melanie responded, determined to hold out as long as possible.

"So, what did your boyfriend say?" Mikey said.

"First of all, he's not my boyfriend." She said harshly, then smiled. "Second of all, I'm going on a date with a rich guy." She squeaked.

"I thought you were just going to get hot chocolate. That doesn't sound like a date." Mikey whined.

"Same diff." She said. "So what are we gonna do for the next four days?"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Alright I'm gonna start wrapping this one up cuz its getting old. Please let me know what I can do better. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

The next four days passed in a blur. They spent their days playing ninja tag in the woods, fishing, swinging on the tire swing they had set up, and walking on the beach. At night, they sat by bon fires, told stories, and star gazed. Melanie never remembered feeling so relaxed or happy. There wasn't a single argument or even mean word spoken the entire time, and they all had the time of their lives. But before they knew it, they were packing up and preparing to leave. They got all packed up, but Melanie begged to spend fifteen more minutes star gazing. So, they all laid down, their heads forming a nearly perfect circle.

"Thank you guys." She whispered. "This was the best birthday ever." They all mumbled their "your welcomes". Silence covered them, and Melanie felt a tear slip out of the corner of her eye. "I love you guys."

Ten minutes later they were in the car and pulling away from the place Melanie imagined paradise to be like. The drive home was long, and Melanie found herself being held by Leo while he read a book. She dozed on and off, but somewhere around midnight, they had to stop for gas and she hopped out. As soon as she had grabbed some snacks, they were on the road, and Melanie now sat in Raph's arms. They talked quietly for a little while, but soon Melanie was fast asleep again.

She woke to the dank, familiar dark of the lair. She was in her room, but as she walked out to find her brothers, she found them all in the living room. They must have crashed there. She smiled and covered Mikey with a blanket. She shivered. The lair was so cold. She went to her room and pulled the blankets off of her bed and covered Raph and Don, but when she went to lay a blanket on Leo, his eyes opened.

"Shhh, go back to sleep." She whispered. But despite her command, he carefully removed Mikey's arm from his chest and got up, tucking his brother back into place.

"Need to start training…." He mumbled. "Missed three days…" He sighed deeply and started to sway.

"Leo!" Melanie whispered harshly as she put an arm around his shoulder and led him to her room. "Here, come talk with me."

"Mmmmm" He hummed. He didn't object as she sat him down on her bed, hopped in next to him, and pulled the covers over them both. His smooth skin was hard and cold, but she still cuddled in next to him as he wrapped his arms around her. His eyes were closed and he stifled a yawn. "Wha you wanna tal'bout?" he slurred.

"I just wanted to tell you somethin'" she whispered.

"Hmmm?" he breathed, feeling sleep take his mind and body.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Guys, I'll be fine without you. He's the one that got his ass kicked by those thugs, not me."

"She has a point, Raph." Donnie said. They were all crowded in the bathroom and were watching Melanie curl her hair. Mikey was fascinated and he had begged her to let him try a strand. He had gotten burned three times before Melanie snatched the hot iron away from him. Now he was just watching.

"Yeah, but we still don't know notin' bout this dude." Raph argued.

"On the contrary," Donnie smirked. "Leo and I took it into our own hands and we now know everything about this spoiled brat of a man that is taking our dear sister out for "hot chocolate"" Donnie added the air quotes just as Melanie spun with a disbelieving look on her face.

"What the hell? You two researched my date?" She shrieked.

Donnie looked like a deer in headlights, but Leo only smirked, "Duh."

Secretly, Melanie had been hoping they would and now she wanted to hear. "Anything interesting about him?"

"His full name is Skylar Hayden Chandler. He was born February 10th in Charleston, South Carolina. He is nineteen and lives in the apartment complex near the store. The store he got mugged at is his father's. He works for his daddy and he ain't short on the moolah."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. My little sister is not dating anyone spoiled brat named Skylar. That's a girl name!" Mikey cut in.

"It fits him. He is kinda a wuss." Raph laughed.

"Haha, you guys are so funny. I happen to find him attractive and sweet, and if you don't mind, I will be leaving now. And there will be no following me! Understood?" she glared at all of them until they nodded. Leo helped her into her leather jacket and all four of them walked up to the garage. She paused a moment at the door before turning around and seeing them all lined up, worried and anxious faces on each of them in some degree.

"Oh I'll be alright. It's not as scary as you guys seem to think."

"Just be careful." Leo begged.

"Of course I will." She smirked as she hugged each of them. The door opened and she stepped through into the fading sunlight. She turned and waved before walking off into the busy world of humans.

"So," Mikey said softly. "What do we do now?"

"We follow her."

"You're being overprotective Raph."

"Look who's talkin' Fearless."

Leo sighed. "We have to let her grow up someday." He reasoned.

"Yeah," Raph agreed. "But not today." Leo smiled at him and they silently made their way to the rooftops.

Melanie stumbled into the lair at quarter past two. She quickly removed her shoes and practically ran into her room and threw on sweats and a t shirt. All of her brothers were asleep on the couch, but she knew they would be angry if she didn't wake them and tell them all about it. But she instantly felt wary as she walked into the living room. Mikey wasn't snoring, and they all looked too….neat. She scowled and flipped on the light. The all groggily sat up and complained about the light, then Mikey caught sight of her face.

"Acts over, guys." He whimpered.

"You followed me didn't you?"

"Uh…." They all began, and Melanie, despite being furious, couldn't hold back her smile. They all sighed, glad to have avoided a confrontation.

"So how was it?" Leo asked.

"It was good…." She trailed off. Her trick worked. Mikey began begging for details. "Well, he took me to Starbuck's obviously, and we had a nice conversation. He likes hockey and polo."

"What's polo?" Mikey asked.

"It's a sport you play on horses, ding dong." Donnie sneered.

"And he has a beach house in Cali, and he's gonna take me diving sometime."

"Dude, that'd be wicked!"

"And…." Melanie said in a high pitched voice.

"What?" They all said.

"We have another date on Friday." She squeaked.

"Uh oh, Raph. We're gonna be marryin' off our little girl soon." Leo teased.

"Not true." Melanie said defensively, punching him playfully on the shoulder.

"Do you like him?" Mikey asked.

Melanie's cheeks turned a dark pink and her brothers went crazy. They teased and guffawed her as she sheepishly said, "Yes."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Seems like no one is interested anymore. Oh well, I've enjoyed the journey. This will be ending within the next three chapters hopefully. Then on to bigger and better things! Once the summer roles around I will have more time and will most likely go back and edit out all the fluff and unnecessary stuff.**

**Dislaimer: I do not own TMNT, but they hold my heart.**

Friday came and went, and before they knew it, a month had passed and Christmas was upon them. The boys often found the weekend and evenings rather lonely. Melanie seemed to be getting serious with Sky, and it worried all of them, Raph in particular. He was frustrated that she could just abandon them and leave. How could she for some snobby brat?

Leo on the other hand was happy that she had found someone to trust, and, despite not liking her being gone the majority of the time, he was happy that she was happy.

Don didn't really think much of it. Sure, he loved his sister, but he had known this day would come, and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He knew that Melanie would one day go off and start her own family, and he envied her for that. All of them did, but Don in particular. He envied that there were so many people she could end up with, as his options were limited. It was hard for him to remember that she wasn't one of them sometimes. Eight years had softened his belief that they were alone and always would be. Perhaps if Melanie had been older when they found her, a romantic relationship would have existed between her and one of them, probably Raph. Perhaps it meant that something could happen between another human and himself.

Mikey was just sad that Melanie seemed more interested with Skylar than him anymore. She was always talking on the phone, texting, or spending time with him, and it made Mikey feel abandoned and worthless. But he kept about his usual self and put on a smile when she was around.

Christmas was only a week and a half away. Thanksgiving had been spent with April and Casey at his grandmother's farm. The holiday had been wonderful, and Melanie had enjoyed listening to her brother' stories of their adventures over dinner. Stories of the shredder and different dimensions and worlds were told that she had never heard before, and she was extremely glad that she had not been in their lives until most of the danger had passed. Sure, they still had run-ins with Bishop and the Purple Dragons, but it sounded like her adventures with them was nothing compared to their teenage years.

Melanie walked into the dojo for her morning meditation and yoga before going to work. She found Leo sitting on a mat in the corner, three soft candles casting distorted shadows over his green skin. Melanie sat across from him and began to slow her breathing. A few moments passed before she reached the spiritual plane and sensed rather than heard his calm presence there.

_"How are you this morning, Melanie?" he whispered in Japanese._

_ "I am well, Leonardo. How are you?" she responded in the same tongue._

_ "I am good as well. How is Skylar?"_

_ "He is well." She hesitated, causing Leo to open his eyes and watch his sister._

"What's wrong?" he spoke out loud in English.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about asking him to spend Christmas with me…." She trailed off.

"I think that's a great idea!" Leo said with a smile.

"Here." She finished. Leo looked at her curiously. "I am not, absolutely not, spending Christmas anywhere but here. I feel bad cause I've been spending so much time with him and barely any with you guys. Besides, this is home, and I think it's time for him to know and meet you guys. I talk about you guys enough that he is chomping at the bit to meet you."

"Have you spoken with Master Splinter about this?" He asked.

"Not yet. I was planning to. What do you think Leo?"

Leo thought for a moment. "I think that if you care for him as much as I think you do, it's time we met the man who has captured my little sister's heart." He smiled, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand.

"He has done that." Melanie whispered.

Debating whether to ask or not, Leo finally gave into his curiosity and asked, "Do you love him?"

She sighed sadly. "I don't know Leo. I mean, I really care about him and he's so good to me. But I keep thinking 'what if this is just a show? What if he is lying to get something? What if he's not who I think he is?'"

"Well I'm sure if he comes here we will know." Leo said.

"I just don't know Leo. I'm still cautious, but I feel like I should trust him."

"It is always important to do both. Being cautious doesn't mean you don't trust him. It means you value yourself enough to protect yourself. But sometimes we have to take a leap of faith and if you end up falling you should know that we aren't going anywhere." He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks Leo." She sighed into his arms.

"Mikey stop messing around. Raph get the drinks. Leo set the table." Donnie shouted over the commotion in the kitchen. Mikey and April were in the kitchen, pots and pans everywhere full of food. Raph and Casey were wrestling in the lounge room and Leo was standing near the table looking lost. Donnie sighed in frustration. The past three days had been spent scrubbing the lair spotless, and in an instant in seem to be filthy again. It was mid afternoon on Christmas Day. Melanie had left half an hour ago to get Skylar. The rest of the family, including April and Casey were preparing for their arrival. Everyone was anxious and worried, but Donatello seemed to be the only one that had his head on straight. He had been trying to keep things under control, but as the minutes since Melanie left increased, so did the chaos and noise. He rubbed his temple and helped Leo get the dishes onto the table, but he couldn't help but feel a knot of worry in his stomach. He was worried that this Skylar wouldn't accept them, and he knew that if he didn't, Melanie would be torn and forced to choose him or her family. And that was a decision Donnie didn't want Melanie to have to make, because either way it would break her heart. Donnie and Leo finished with table and all seven of them collapsed onto the couch. Candles were lit, music was playing, and the fireplace was on. Everything was ready and they could relax.

Not thirty seconds passed before an alarm went off. Casey jumped into April's lap and Mikey squealed. The rest of them shook their heads and Donnie hurried over to his computer. He had set an alarm the night before to tell them when Melanie entered the garage above them.

"They're almost here." He yelled over his shoulder. Leo was behind him and squinting at the monitor. "You okay, Leo?"

He rubbed his eyes and leaned back. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The two of them walked back into the lounge room where the scene had dramatically changed. Mikey was huddled and shaking on the couch next to April and Casey, who were clutching each other. Raph was pacing and twirling his sai. Splinter looked annoyed. Raph snorted.

"I didn't tink she was gonna get him dis far honestly. He must really like 'er." He continued to walk back and forth in front of the fireplace.

"Raphael, sit down. You are making me dizzy." Splinter rubbed his head.

"Oh, uh, sorry sensei." He knelt in front of the fireplace and Leo sat next to him. Donnie went over and checked the monitor. A camera placed in the corner of the dark garage barely showed two dark shadows. He just made out which was Melanie. She was holding Sky's hands in her own and standing across from him. Donnie bet that she was bracing him for what he was about to see. This was a critical point. Donnie turned up the audio and heard Sky laugh.

"Babe, what are you talking about?"

"Sky, please just listen to me. My family…isn't normal." Melanie was pleading with him.

"No one's is, hun. We all have problems." Sky's voice reminded him of Leo.

"Fine then, I'll just have to show you or you can leave." Melanie's voice cracked and Donnie knew she was crying.

"Uh, guys, we might have a situation." Donnie said softly. His brothers and splinter were behind him in an instant.

"What's wrong?" Leo said.

"Iz dat bozo messin' wit my girl?" Raph growled at the same time.

"No, she's talking to him. Master, should we go up?"

Splinter stared at the screen. "Not yet."

"Babe, I'm sorry. I'm listening. Why is your family not normal besides the fact they live way out here?"

She sniffed and looked up at him. "They aren't human."

Sky's mouth opened and Melanie flinched. He sighed and took a deep breath. "Um, I'll take you home. You don't sound too good. You must be tired."

Melanie gave a frustrated sigh at the same moment Splinter nodded to his sons; they disappeared in a flash. Splinter continued to watch. Sky took Melanie's hand but she tugged away from him. "No, I am perfectly fine. You go then, since you don't believe me."

"Sweetheart…" he said, but was cut off from a low rumbling as the elevator came to the surface. Four shadows stepped forward as Sky stumbled backwards and fell behind Melanie.

"You not takin' my sista seriously makes me kinda mad, eh Leo?" Raph's gruff voice was soft and icy.

"Raph," Leo chided.

"Who…Who are you?" Sky squinted, trying to see who and what they were.

"Sky," Melanie said, stepping forward between Mikey and Donnie. "These are my brothers." Sky finally realized what they were and fell backwards with a whimper.

"Damn, you humans will never change." Raph smirked.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This is the last official chapter! The next will be the epilogue:) Hope you enjoy it! Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

"Damn," Raph said again.

"Raphael, enough." Splinter chided.

"Sorry, Sensei." He whined.

The five of them were surrounding the couch that Sky lay on, Melanie sat next to him and ran her hands through his hair, and April and Casey were in the kitchen.

"Sky?" Melanie whispered. The man had begun to stir and a soft groan split the tense silence.

"Mel?" He shuddered and opened his eyes. "I just had the weirdest dream." He rubbed his head and sat up with help from Melanie. "You told me that your family was a bunch of giant masked turtles." He laughed, and stopped as he looked around.

"That wasn't a dream, hun." Melanie smiled as Raph put a three fingered hand on her shoulder. Sky sat in a daze for a moment, then slowly stood up. He stepped towards Leo and everyone but him tensed. Leo looked calm as ever, but Melanie stepped between them just in case. "Babe, what are you doing?"

"Prove that you're real." Sky said, shoving finger into Leo's plastron.

"What would you like me to do?" Leo said softly, stepping backwards.

Sky's jaw dropped and Melanie started laughing. The boys soon joined in and April and Casey walked in from the kitchen. Sky noticed Splinter and let out a little squeal, jumping into Melanie's arms, which made everyone laugh harder.

"Dinner is ready, guys." April said breathlessly.

"Den let's eat, I'm starvin'!" Raph said and raced Mikey into the kitchen.

Dinner was delightful. There was more talking then eating, but somehow all of the food seemed to disappear. Clean up took no time at all and soon everyone was in the living room laughing, talking, and playing card games. April and Melanie brought out the pies and hot chocolate, and despite the large dinner, they were quickly devoured as well. Splinter stood up and Leo stood up as well. Splinter nodded, and they both walked over to where Sky and Melanie were sitting near the fireplace.

"Skylar, would you join us for a moment?" Splinter said.

Sky looked flabbergasted and nervous, but he stood up and followed the two of them after giving Melanie a peck on the cheek. Raph saw them walking towards the dojo and hopped up to follow them. After Leo closed the door, Splinter motioned for his sons to sit next to him and Sky to sit across, facing them. Sky sat still, and though he had gotten comfortable around them faster than anyone had hoped, Leo could tell he was nervous.

"Skylar, it is not hard to see that you have developed feelings for my daughter, or that she has the same feelings for you. Now, I must ask, what are your plans for the future? Is she simple a doll that you will throw away when you are finished with her? Or is she a prize you intend to keep?"

"She is much more to me than a doll, sir." Skylar said quickly and Raph raised an eyebrow. "I…"

"Yes?" Splinter prodded.

"I plan to ask her to marry me." Sky said quietly.

Raph and Leo's jaws dropped. Splinter showed no reaction. "Is that all?"

"I plan to love her for the rest of my life. I have money to support her as well as you. Melanie, despite never telling me of your…uh…exact situation, has mentioned that living was hard for you. I am prepared to help. Not to brag, but I am very wealthy." He said shyly.

"I do not care about your money. All I care about is my daughter's heart."

"And if you so much as make her doubt that she is worth less than all your money…." Leo hissed.

"Yur gonna regret it for the rest uh your damned life." Raph finished.

Sky shivered and huddled into himself, but he quickly recovered and sat up straight. "I understand, and that woman out there," he said, pointing to the door. "Is worth more than you know. She will be treated like a princess for the rest of her life, not that she hasn't before. You really have no idea how much she loves you guys. If I may be so bold, you have raised one hell of a woman."

Raph and Leo smirked, and Splinter stood. "I do not doubt your oath. And if I do say so myself, Melanie has made a good decision." Sky stood up, and they embraced.

"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to propose tonight. I know how much it would mean to her if you were all present."

"You have our blessing." Splinter said with a tear in his eye.

All four walked out of the dojo. Melanie was still sitting on the sofa and everyone was where they left them. Sky rushed up to her and knelt on the ground in front of her. Melanie looked confused, but clapped a hand over her mouth as Sky held out a tiny red box with a gold bow on top. Melanie started crying as he opened the lid and held up a diamond ring. Mikey's, Donnie's, and Casey's mouths were on the floor, April was hugging Master Splinter, and Leo and Raph were blinking back the tears while beaming at the couple.

"Sky…" Melanie gasped. They were both crying. Sky took Melanie's hand and looked into her eyes.

"Melanie Hamato, I am in love with you. I love you more than I could ever have imagined loving anyone." His voice broke and the room was deathly quiet except for the crackle of the fireplace and the soft background music. "I want to be by your side for all of eternity. I want to love you and treat you like the princess you are for the rest of your life. Will you be my wife?"

Melanie was sobbing so hard she couldn't get the words out, but eventually she managed a soft and breathless, "Yes."


	14. Chapter 14Epilogue

**A/N: And so ends an epic adventure. Now to work on **_**Broken**_** and **_**Just a Dream**_**. I hope you have enjoyed my first ever fan fiction piece! I know I have. Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

_**Six Months Later**_

"Open Sensei's first." Mikey prodded.

"Why? You guys know I hate opening presents!" Melanie whined. It was the day of the wedding. Sky had arranged the wedding to be held at Casey's grandmother's place. A second, more elaborate wedding was to be held with Sky's family in a week, but Sky had made sure to plan the real wedding so that Melanie's family would be there. At the moment, Melanie, the boys, and Splinter were in an upstairs bedroom while Sky, April, and Casey started to set up for the afternoon. The boys had wanted her to open their wedding gifts before, so they were sitting around the bed Melanie sat on, a pile of presents at her feet.

"Just open it." Raph demanded.

"Ugh, fine." She said picking up a shoe-box sized wrapped present. She tore off the gold paper and tenderly lifted the lid. Inside lay a small jewelry box. She picked it up, but noticed rough paper beneath it and lay it to the side. She carefully tugged the rice paper out of the box and unrolled it. In her master's delicate calligraphy, as well as his elegant cursive, lay one phrase in both Japanese and English.

"_Dance as if no one is watching; Sing as though no one can hear you; love as if you've never been hurt before; live as if heaven is on Earth."_

Melanie wiped the tears from her cheeks and reached for the small jewelry box. She gasped as she pulled out the necklace. A circle pendant held the letter _M_ in the center, surrounded by the letters _S,L,R,D, _and _M _each in respective colors their owners wore. The faint sketch of a turtle shell faded into the background. Melanie covered her mouth, but the tears ran down her cheeks. Leo took the necklace from her hands and she turned. He gently lifted her hair and did the clasp. The pendant fell to the hollow of her throat.

"Master…" she whispered.

"The necklace is from all of us." He said taking her into his arms. "Oh, my precious Melanie."

"I love you, Sensei." She sobbed.

"I love you too." He whispered as he stroked her hair.

After a few moments, Splinter let go and Melanie gratefully took the tissue from Mike's hand. She sighed as Mikey gently nudged a small green box towards her. She smiled mischievously and tore the paper. Again she gently lifted the lid and pulled out a lightly colored tile. On the tile was written, in Mikey's most careful handwriting. "_Hero"_.

"Mikey?" she whispered. She reached back into the box and pulled out a drawing. Melanie could tell he had taken a long time with it. It was black and white, and she recognized herself in a super hero costume that looked similar to her ninja garb. A cape billowed behind her as she stood atop a sky scraper.

"You're my hero, Mel." He whispered and he wrapped her in his arms and squeezed. Melanie laughed and hugged him back.

"Alright, my turn." Raph barked. He handed her a red box. She opened the lid and gently lifted a red rose along with another tile. The single word, in Raph's scratchy penmanship, "_Rose"_ lay on the tile in black ink.

"Don't say anythin'. I'll explain later, kay?" He said gruffly. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"My turn?" Donnie said. He held out a brown package, and Melanie smiled. She tore off the paper and once again, a tile with black writing in her brother's type write appeared. "_Pearl."_ Melanie ran her fingers over the tile, but jumped when Donnie grabbed her arm and clasped a small bracelet on her arm. A single white pearl sat on the crest, but Melanie thought it was beautiful.

"Donnie, it's amazing." She whispered as her arms encircled him. He just smiled and blushed slightly.

"Leo?" she asked after a moment, seeing her brother hesitate.

"Mine isn't as good as theirs." He mumbled as he handed her a small square.

She didn't say anything and gently opened the soft tissue paper. Inside lay a tile, but what lay on the tile made Melanie gasp. Two angel wings wrapped around a tiny silver ring with tiny writing along the side.

"It's supposed to fit your pinky." He said. He held it up and helped her slip it on. Melanie held it close, and made out the words, _My Angel._ She found the tile. It too said _Angel._

"Leo, it's beautiful. Guys…" She trailed off, the tears welling up in her eyes.

"The tiles all fit together. We had a stand somewhere…" Leo trailed off, and was cut short as Melanie pulled them all into a hug.

"I love you guys." She whispered.


End file.
